The Millennials I have spoken with do not understand the concept of "methodology". As part of my major in history, among other degrees, I learned various ways of viewing history. All histories have a methodology. So do teachers of literature and philosophy.
But, in this age of extreme subjectivism, youth cannot see that their professors are teaching out of a particular method, mind-set, philosophy. They think that these teachers are like themselves, without agendas and completely without guile. The relativist has a hard time imagining that there are such things as viewpoints, plans, which is why, in 2010, when I passed out my required syllabi, some of my students were dumbfounded that I had completely, clearly laid out the goals and methods of my courses, the expectations, and the desired results. Stunned. I wrote my first syllabus in 1979. The students wanted to know the methods, goals, rubrics. They loved the guidance as they wanted to succeed, if not actually learn.
By 1997, I could see the difference and by 2010, the students who wanted to learn and get results for themselves and learn how to think and succeed, were few and far between. The relativist cannot learn. He only wants to argue his own, small position and act as if it were not a position and a methodology.
The second problem for these students is that they honestly think that science is the only infallible discipline. They think either in terms of complete empiricism (boring) or they simply memorize and do not think at all.
This is the result of a century of social engineering in education across the world. And, in fact, in some countries, this type of miasma of stupidity owing to the lack of learning critical thinking is worse than in the States or Europe. I find more Asian students who are relativists than those of the West, especially those raised under Marxist rule, which they cannot even parse out themselves.
They cannot recognize either ideology or methodology. Such a society of such an unthinking mass becomes the puppet for whosoever wants to become a tyrant.
American Millennials are less conformist than those of other countries, but the slide into anti-intellectualism has gained momentum.
Some studies have indicated that this generation has trouble solving problems with non-linear thinking. I think they have trouble with both types--see my post last week on Sherlock.
